This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus of providing theft protection particularly for electronic or optical devices.
Given that devices, such as electronic or optical devices, are becoming smaller and smaller, and more common in society, it is likely that theft of such devices will be an increasing problem for consumers, and insurance companies. Theft is motivated by the anticipated value of the device to a thief, or to a person who buys the device from the thief. Therefore, a mechanism that lowers the anticipated value of a stolen device without lowering the value to its rightful owner will work as a theft deterrence.
Traditional theft deterrence mechanisms are typically visible (e.g., locks, inscriptions of the owner""s name, etc). These traditional mechanisms have at least two drawbacks. Firstly, if they can be removed (such as a lock), then a buyer of the stolen merchandise can verify that the article does not have the protection. Secondly, if the mechanism cannot practically be removed (such as an inscription of the owner""s name) then this may lower the value of the device to the rightful owner, as it may reduce his ability to honestly resell the device.
The present invention in one or more embodiments provides a mechanism for disabling or altering the normal operation of a protected device if a code, such as an access code or a personal identification number, is not entered by a user after being requested by the protected device or by a central device. The protected device may periodically and/or randomly, with some probability, request entry of the code to continue normal operation. The invention may be thought of as providing xe2x80x9cinvisiblexe2x80x9d protection against theft of protected devices, which may be for example electronic or optical devices. A potential purchaser of a potentially stolen protected device, will be less likely to purchase, if there is a high probability that the device will eventually disable itself, unless a proper code is entered. In this manner the present invention in several embodiments generally reduces the value of the protected device to a thief, but not to a rightful owner.
The protected device may normally operate in a first state of normal operation. A first event may cause the protected device to go into a second state of alert where the protected device still operates normally but additionally provides warnings to a user. For example, during the second state of alert a user may be warned that an access code needs to be entered to prevent degradation or altering of the operation of the protected device. The first event may be triggered or may depend on one or more sub-events some of which may occur with some probability and some of which may automatically occur or may be deterministic.
If a second event occurs prior to the user providing an access code then the protected device would transition from the second state (normal operation with warnings) to a third state in which the operation of the protected device would be altered or degraded. The second event may be based on one or sub events some of which may be probabilistic and some of which may be deterministic. If the user enters the correct access code during either the second state (warnings) or the third state (altering or degradation of operation), then the protected device would go back to the first state (normal operation, no warnings and no degradation).
In one or more embodiments the present invention provides an apparatus comprising means for altering the operation of a protected device and means for receiving an access code. The means for altering the operation of the protected device alters the operation of the protected device if the access code is not received prior to an occurrence of a particular event. The apparatus may be further comprised of means for providing one or more warnings prior to the occurrence of the particular event, wherein each warning indicates that the operation of the protected device will be altered unless the access code is provided to the means for receiving the access code. Warnings may be provided in a random manner when, for example, a randomly generated numbers falls within a first range.
The present invention in one embodiment discloses an apparatus comprising a memory; a processor; a user interface device, and an operation controlling mechanism. The operation controlling mechanism controls the operation of a protected device. The protected device may for example be a computer, a cellular telephone, a camera, a television, a compact disc player, a Personal digital assistant (xe2x80x9cPDAxe2x80x9d), for example a PALM PILOT (trademarked), or a video cassette recorder.
The processor may provide a warning to a user that the operation of the operation controlling mechanism will be altered unless an access code is entered into the user interface device. The access code may be, for example, a password or a personal identification number (xe2x80x9cPINxe2x80x9d). If the access code is not entered into the user interface device, the processor alters the operation of the operation controlling mechanism and thereby alters the operation of the protected device. The processor may provide randomly periodic or periodic warnings to the user that the operation of the operation controlling mechanism will be altered unless a code is entered in the user interface device. The warnings may be generated when a periodically randomly generated number falls within a given range.
The operation of the protected device may be altered or degraded in a gradual fashion. For example, if the user does not enter the correct access code prior to a first event (such as within twenty-four hours) then one of the functions of the protected device may be disabled (such as the rewind function of a video cassette recorder. If the user further does not enter the correct access code prior to a second event (such as within forty-eight hours after the first warning), then the entire protected device may be completely disabled.
In one embodiment, a central device may alter service for a protected device. For example a central device may prevent long distance calls from a particular cell phone device (which in this example would be the protected device), unless an access code is entered into the cell phone.
Generally, the access code or personal identification code (xe2x80x9cPINxe2x80x9d) may be stored in memory in the protected device. The access code may be changed by a user having knowledge of the code. The access code may also be stored in a central device in the case where a central device alters service for the protected device.